1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of animal leashes and leads.
2. Discussion of the Background
A discussion of the background for this invention may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,726, which discloses an animal leash comprising a dual-loop lead and carabiner. In that patent, the advantages of using a carabiner as the attachment means for an animal leash are discussed at length. These advantages include the strength and durability of a carabiner, the large inner area circumscribed by the carabiner, the ease of manipulation of the carabiner, and the multiplicity of configuations that a leash may have when using a carabiner as the attachment means.
These advantages also accrue to a leash in which the carabiner is replaced by a snap link which is designed more specifically for an animal leash and other similar light-duty applications. Specifically, the snap link disclosed herein incorporates a straight portion appropriate for secure attachment of the strap material from which the lead is made. U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,726 discloses a leash having a hand-hold loop at each end, whereby a carabiner can be placed through either or both loops, or detached entirely if the lead is to be cleaned or replaced. While there are advantages associated with that type of design, there are other different advantages associated with a design in which a snap link is attached more securely to one end of the leash.
The advantages of the present invention are described in more detail in the following sections.